Welcome

I lost my two babies, Betsy & Chance in March 2010, both lived long lives, but it was their time to say goodbye.
I never thought I'd take on any more, but not long after they'd gone, I was looking on line n came across the Doris Banham Trust site. I couldn't help myself as I started going through the pictures. Then came Belle & Harvey. I called Shelia n left a message. Minutes later she returned my call.
I thought if I was going to rescue another dog, I'd rather rescue two cos I've always had two dogs.
I went to see them n went back for them a week later. And I've never looked back since.
When I first saw Belle, she was much bigger than what I expected. Her description was Staff x, yeah crossed with a grizzley bear!
She had a huge scar down one side of her ribs, from but to chin. She was fat n wild, absolutely no self control at all.
Harvey, on the other hand, was typical English Bully, seemed to take everything in his stride, but had some very deep seated people aggresive issues.

I'm now happy to say, 18 months on, they are both on the right track. They've settled in well with my three cats, six chickens, nine sheep & two horses.
I've worked dam bloody hard with these two & now they've got the life of Riley.....These two av really dropped on their paws n loving life!
I've posted a picture of them playing ball in my field.

We lost our beloved staffie Lady, 15 years old, six years ago and decided not to have another dog straight away. That was until we saw 'Sophie' at the Treswell kennels and totally fell in love! The video with Louise at the kennels showed a beautiful, boisterous, fun-loving girl in need of of a forever-family and thats what she now has. Now known as Roxy, she is a beautiful friend and companion. At the moment she's fast asleep on my bed, which is as every one knows, where staffies prefer to be! I couldn't recommend highly enough re-homing a dog from the wonderful people who dedicate their lives to saving dogs from death row. Thank you so very much for the newest member of our family. Please try and continue with the good work.

My husband and I lost our staffie of 14 years just before Christmas 2010. As you can imagine Christmas was pretty rubbish for us. As the hurt began to ease we found our lives were missing a special presence. That's when we decided it was time for another staffie. We weighed up the pro's and con's of puppies and rescue dogs. Having looked at various dog rescue websites we decided that we could give an unloved dog a home. I would like to say 'thank you' to Sheila from Crewe who introduced us to Maggie the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. We were smitten with her from the start, although we did not know about Maggie until we arrived at Sheila's house. We have had Maggie for almost two weeks (9th March 2011) and she is an absolute sweetheart, we would not be without her. I would strongly recommend homing a dog from a rescue home, I feel that by taking Maggie home I've helped two dog's, Maggie and also the dog that will now take her place in Sheila's kennels.

Having lost our family pet lady The house felt lonely we looked at your website and saw a picture of Sykes. We live in Nottingham and traveled to see a lady called Sheila. Sheila introduced us to Sykes, we immediatly bonded and took him home after some time. Sykes (Dukie) Is loyal and loving and has brought warmth and laughter in our home. At Christmas he pulled his own stocking from under the tree and opened it himself, He is a little rascal (We have called him Dukie) And wanted to thank everyone involved in the Dorris Banham Site A big thank you to Sheila for her understanding and dedication to the job she does so well, A big thank you to you all once again, Yours truly, Jane Weston and Nephew Joe Verney aged 12 Dukies best friend

About 8 months ago we lost our eldest staffy (and first) Abbey very suddenly and myself and wife have missed her so very much but not as much as our other staffy charlie who has missed her like mad, we eventually decided that not just for us but for charlie to we needed a new companion and we knew the best thing was to offer a homeless staffy a good home and we could not believe how many staffies needed a home. after contacting Shelia at crewe and telling her our story she told us of a dog she had called Buster! after meeting him for the first time and going for a walk we knew we had found the newest member of our family, buster has made such a difference our beautiful little girl charlie is full of play and running again and every morning we get the biggest cuddle you could imagine.

if anyone reads this who is thinking about helping one of the many dogs out there then please do you wont regret it and from our experience you could not get any better help than from the people at this wonderful charity, thank you all for helping complete our family again.

we rehomed sid ,a beautiful brindle and white staffy boy on 1st october ,to be a new companion for snoopy our 13yr old bitch and we haven't looked back since.Sid is such a joy to have in our family.he loves to play with every dog we come accross and has rejuevenated snoopy. they joust at least twice a day and it's always snoopy that instigates the play session.We've discovered sid doesn't travel very well but that's something we're working on.due to his separation anxiety we.ve bought a dog cage to help him feel less insecure,with lots of chew toys and blankets with our scent on. Sid likes nothing more than to get under the duvet with us at bedtime and will stay there all night,he's such a snuggle monster.when we've taken sid and snoopy out in the rain sid always comes in and licks snoopy clean aawwww...... you should see. we'd never met a dog that wouldn't eat icecream before but that has changed. He also loves to sit besides me when i'm preparing carrots for dinner.it's one for sid 'n' snoopy and one for the pot....Well that's all for now,we'll keep you updated. THANKS AGAIN FOR OUR NEWEST MEMBER OF OUR FAMILY WHO DEFINATELY... FOUND HIS FOREVER HOME.XX

We adopted Benson (he was called Bosch before) just over 2 years ago - a wonderful Rottie. We got him by default really as we were taking him to be rehomed for Doris Banham but the new owner changed his mind. We couldn't bear the thought of Benson going back to kennels before a new home might be found for him so we decided to keep him. It was absolutely the best decision ever - we loved him dearly and he gave us so much love and happiness in return. Yesterday, Benson went on to another world - he'd developed a massive tuma which had spread - and he has left a great big hole in our hearts. My first pet, Toby, was a Golden Retriever I bought as a puppy and he lived for 14 years. When I bought him I didn't even think about the possibility of taking a rescue dog and certainly didn't think I could love 'someone else's dog' as much, with possible problems as well. Boy, do I know better now. When the time comes we will without doubt take on another rescue pet, despite the pain we both feel now at the loss of Benson. Unfortunately we won't be able to help another Doris Banham dog as we are moving to France in January (Benson and Toby are still coming with us) but we will without doubt give another discarded or threatened pet, or two, a loving home over there. Anyone looking at this site will perhaps already be aware of the good work that the team at Doris Banham does and the successes, but they are constantly up against financial issues and a never ending battle to save dogs - I would urge you and any genuine animal loving person to take that leap and adopt a pet or spread the word when you know someone is looking for a pet. These wonderful animals need to know and experience that there are loving people who will care for them and give them the best possible chance in life, no matter how short that life may be. In return you will receive much more - we certainly did. Thank you Trudie for bringing Benson into our lives. Sandy & Martin.

We adopted Dillon from Sheila in Crewe just over two years ago. He's a cross staffie which we'd never had before and three weeks in thought we'd made a big mistake as Dillon clearly had a few problems. It was decided Dillon needed dog company and we got Mishka another cross staffie. Dillon and Mishka were instantly the best of friends, Dillon has grown into a chunky loveable (spoilt) family member and we couldn't be happier. We can't thank Sheila enough, she spotted Dillons potential and stuck with it, so did we and are glad we did.

xxxxxx

We had two beautiful Staffordshire bull terrier sisters, which one sadley passed away in March this year , which left us all heart broken. With are other dog going down hill because of the passing of her sister. We decided that maybe rehoming another Staffie, to try and bring her back to her normal self would help her.
We contacted Doris banham at Tresswell about rehoming another staffie, we ended up taking home Dolly . We have had her since July of this year and have never regreted rehoming her, shes absolutly done the trick and are other staffie is full of life and is on the go with dolly all the time. Thanks to Doris Banham.

BAILEY

My Grandma adopted bailey in June or July of 2007 or 2008. Bailey is now about 8 years old and still is as bouncy and loveable as before. People always wonder is it a boy or is it a girl?? Well Bailey is a GIRL!!!!!! She love the winalot cassarole dog food and my dad gets her special dog biscuits from his work. She is walked 3 or 4 times a week by a dog walker because my grandma cannot walk very far due to angina, diabetes and other problems. She talks to us every time we visit by whining that sounds like she is talking. She can melt your heart by staring at you with her chocolate brown eyes.

Hi we had Monty may 2009 after looseing our other resue dog Roger who was a rottweiller cross, I thought it was too soon to have another dog but Tony missed Roger so much he searched the web for another dog...i told him no more big dogs...a week a so went by and he phoned to go and see monty... who was being fostered by Jamie(who is a walker for the trust)and who also had lost his dog....Jamie had done so much with monty in ref to training and giving him so much love... Monty( who is a staffy cross) was so well behaved and very pleasant to take a walk... me not being a staffy lover has had my mind changed totally... what a loving breed they are...monty is a wonderful dog in every way...he has changed our life completely... he likes to sit on your knee, shoulders and the drivers seat of the car..he gets every where... especially on our bed...sorry jamie monty has picked up some bad habits ...we would like to thank everyone from the trust because with out you we would not have our loving furry family member...who still today makes us roll with laughter...

We rehomed Cassie from Crewe nearly 6 months ago and what a difference she had made ! Our Ridgeback cross has settled as she is not afraid to tell him off if he becomes too boisterous, and she is alway game for a game of tug (she is only a chihuahua/staffy x). She has a great big personality and everyone who sees her falls in love with her. She is my little shadow and often follows me around the house and cuddles up with me on the bed during the night. She is a great little girl and we love her to bits.

I adopted kazan about 6 months ago ... unfortunalty today .. kazan had to put to sleep ... Ive shed so many tears as i love him so much .... Thank you for the time you have given me , you were the best dog in the world .. and when i looked into your eyes for them final moments i just wanted to let you know how much i love you xxxxxxxxxxxx

Bonnie Slide No 27 A Lovely Staffie. We will remember you forever x x x

We had Bonnie for just over 2 years, sadly she was put to sleep the other day. She was a very funny and friendly dog, and although she was a little old she was young at heart. We loved her so much and miss her so much. We feel we gave her a lovely home and have so many treasured memories. R.I.P. BONNIE x x x

Hi all,

I've had my little Alfie now for just over three years. He's the second staffi cross in the slide show, brindle with a lovely smile. That pic was taken when he first came to live with me.

He nearly died three weeks ago, his spleen ruptured and caused massive internal bleeding. But thankfully the emergency vets operated on him at 1am and removed his spleen. It was touch and go for a few days afterwards but he's still here and he's back to his old self now! He was electrocuted by a lampost 2 years ago and it looks like his spleen was damaged then and has just been a time bomb waiting to go off. The spleen had scar tissue on it and was just waiting to rupture completely.

He's either the luckiest dog in the world, surving the pound, electrocution and now this! or he's the unluckiest :) But with all honestly I have tried my best to give him the life he deserves. He is older now, I'm not sure exactly but he's probably 10.

Thank you so much for saving his life in the first instance. He's a wonderful dog and changed my life completely. Since meeting him I realised the problems dogs have in this country and have worked for animal sanctuaries and I do voluntary work for local rescues. I've since become guardian to two more lovely rescue dogs as well! He's a star and have changed everyones lives who he's met.

Thank you again.

Hi
My Grandma has rehomed a staffy called Bailey and at the start of summer it was her 1 yr mark. Everyone loves her and she loves everyone back. She is one of the cutest dogs i have evr seen and she is so beautiful my grandma got ill with the flu and Bailey stayed with her all day, she is soo loyal and i cant see how people stereotype them as she is almost too loveable : )) Thanx for findin her :-X xxx : )

hi a week ago i collected a very large longhaired german sheperd called alfie he is all spruced up and settl well with my othe ,.small german sheperd called drummer who i got six months ago he has meet all the family and grandson who is 8 and been a real dream the downside is i bought a small new car a few months ago and alfie is very big ooopppsss. i wish people would look at these dogs and not lable them he is my 4th gs and they have all been amazing my first one i had for 5 years before a fell pregnant with my daughter everyone said i should get rid of her as she was for me only and big like alfie but she was great and only sulked for about a week over the last 35years i have had a border collie a lassie collie a large huskylassie cross 4 gsds and not one problem with any they have all been about 5 to 7 years old , i would love more but my age is going against me now as drummer is only 3 and i could get 10years i hope . i look forward i hope to a lovely summer outside if not i give up on england and would look abroad so we can got out and have fun, sue stephenson loves all animals but dogs are my dream xxx

The Staffy we travelled from Portsmouth to Dewsbury to collect has settled in as part of the family, Sadie is a character and a totally different character from our previous doggies, very lively and playful, still just a puppy.
She travels well in the car, looking forward to holidays in Devon with her. She likes her food and asks for a dish of tea now and again. Loves tug of war games with ropes, rubber toys, tea towels, my ties etc.
All the neighbours cats we used to get in the garden now go somewhere else, cant imagine why!
She thinks horses are just very big dogs, obviously hasn`t seen them before.
Other dogs are virtually ignored unless they want to run and play, she is very very good.

We have had our Daisy for 19 momths now and we absolutely adore her. She is a brown brindle and white Staffy.She is so affectionate and so comical , she is a proper clown. She loves all her toys and we could not wish for a more delightful and happy dog. She is my shadow, she follows me everywhere and she loves me as much as I love her.We have another rescue dog called Twink He is a German Shepherd x Staffy He too had a bad start in life, We dearly love our dogs so what makes the other toe-rags tick? That they can abuse the other poor animals. If it were possible I would take all the animals in need of a loving home and love them all. IF ONLY??? We can't thank the Doris Banham Sanctuary enough for rehoming our Daisy with us, and also for giving us our very first rosette for second place in the Happiest Rescue Dogs photographic competition when our friend Paula submitted a photograph of our two dogs Twink and Daisy, It was without doubt the proudest day of my life. Thankyou so much Pam Emmins

Mickey (rehomed slide 46) has just had his 'first birthday'. Still impeccably behaved and spoilt rotten, loves his holidays in the caravan and has seen lots of countryside (and cows). He really surprised us all when we went to the beach as we weren't expecting him to go and play in the sea although he didn't take to surfing!

At home, he's a proper tart, loves the sun and often goes missing into the back garden sunbathing, after he's chased away the squirrels and birds.

There's never been a dull moment with him around, a real character. Giving him a home has been one of the most satisfying and rewarding things we have ever done, keep up the good work.

Well you'll never believe it, it's Eddie's "birthday" tomorrow - he's been here a year :) how quick has that gone! Obviously he will be spoilt rotten. Unfortunately one of his birthday presents hasnt yet arrived - a bed that he will fit in! But we're sure he wont notice if it's late. He's totally outgrown the bed we bought him last August as he is now twice the size he was then. He continues to be a credit to his breed and 99% well behaved. We love him soooo much and he is totally devoted to the pair of us (as i type he's sat bolt upright on the sofa ,so he can see out of the window, waiting for Darren to get home). We wouldnt be without him and can't thank you all enough for giving him the chance of another life. The vet has given him a clean bill of health. We will never understand how his previous owners could just get rid of him, but their loss is our enormous gain. He brings so much life and love to our house. We will post some more photos when the forum is back up.

I have had Simba for over a month now. He came to me a very timid, scared and quiet boy with no confidence, slowly but surely his confidence is growing and I see a change in him every day. He is turning into a very affectionate and loving happy boy who is a lot of fun to be with. He loves his toys, chilling in the garden and walks and has settled in very well in to his new home. It has taken him and me a little time to adjust to things as I haven't had a dog around the house for a couple of years but it makes the house much more homely with Simba here. Although he has his mischievous moments like stealing food off the table he is the perfect dog, loving, gentle and fun. Simba and I have become very close and he is a much loved boy. After being neglected and treated horribly I am happy that I can give him a new loving life. Thanks very much.

We have had Sid now for just over 3 months, he's great, we look at him and wonder how anyone could have abandened him, he makes us smile everyday. He loves his walks, loves dossing in the garden and loves to demolish any toy you give him!!! We had some photos developed last week, they were of Sid from day 1 to now, it took my breath away to see how thin he was when we had him and how stocky, young and playful he is now, full of life, thank goodness.

We have had Meg for nearly two weeks now,a big Staffy girl of a year old.Despite arriving in season into our house of 4 Staffs ( including our neutered male) she has been the perfect dog.Yes she was unsure for the first day or so and was shy,we knew she wanted us as we did her and she could not be sweeter.Now, two weeks later she is on the sofa asleep or in the garden playing or sunbathing.She loves her walks and even though she was in kennels for months she is perfectly clean in the house.We can't work out why she was unwanted as you'll never find a dog more loving or eager to be with you.We are thrilled to bits with her ,love her like mad and it's just the biggest bonus to know we have given her the life of comfort she deserves.We have bought pups in the passed ,they are elderly now,but this being our second rescue staffy ,we would never buy another from a breeder again.How could you when the most beautifull dogs need a home.?Thankyou for all the work you do to save these lovely dogs.We will always do what we can to help.

Well cid has been with us 2 wks and he has settled in so well, we couldnt of asked for a nicer, gentler or better behaved dog if we tried, he is absolutley stunning and we love him desperatley the moment we saw him, he is a carzy little might, he sleeps in the weirdest posistions, digs holes in the garden with his nose and has the worst farts on this earth, they make ur eyes water lol But he truely is the most amazing dog and he has made our life so much better and happier with him in it!!!!!!!

We took our GSD as a puppy of 6 months old from you. He had just arrived mins before from the pound on day 7 instead of being PTS.

Whilst he has been sufferring from seperation anxiety since arriving (we spent the first week in turns on the sofa) and swallowing his food so quick it didn't touch the sides, he is now in training and although he has some kinks and peculiarities we are gradually giving him the confidence he needs to enjoy being a dog.

He learnt to swim (now proficient, although he was tall enough to run on the bottom of the river and pretend for a while!) and has mastered many commands.

The local vet suggested we put a ball in his food to slow him down, so he just picked up the ball and threw it out!

Although we have a long way to go with repairing the damage of is first owners, we are in for the long haul and he is gradually accepting he has 2 owners, not one, as with many GSD. He dislikes most females (I am the exception, but his trust is not 100%) and does growl at them, so we know he was frightened by a female (human) at some point.

Now in the best health he romps around on daily walks and mostly comes when called although he needs further socialisation with other pooches and needs to know he is not the small toy pooch he thinks he is, especially when playing with the cat.

We love him dearly and hope he feels the same.

We have had Trixie a german shepherd cross for some two months. She was very nervous at first but has now settled well. A valuable member of thefamily. Thank you very much.

Betty who was at Great Dane Rescue near Boston.

Betty is living in a lovely home near Grantham out in the country where she has lots of space to run around in. She has settled in really well with their other dog Starsky, cats and horses. What a lucky lady!!